Following the European Space Agency (ESA)'s Council of Ministers meeting in the city of Bremen (famous for being home to ZARM's huge microgravity drop tower); on 27 November 2025, the UK Space Agency and ESA has announced a major £1.7 billion investment package, reaffirming the UK’s ambition to secure leadership in space science, technology and resilience. This boost elevates the UK’s total planned ESA support to £2.8 billion for the next decade, with further commitments expected at the next ESA Council in 2028. (GOV.UK)
This investment should flow back into UK businesses and universities through new contracts, acting as the genesis for the creation of cutting-edge technologies underpinned by UK generated intellectual property, and positioning British scientists, engineers, and entrepreneurs at the forefront of international space initiatives.
The package allocates funding with a strategic focus, with the majority (£511 million) going to ESA’s core science programmes.
In a globally competitive space environment, the UK’s renewed investment also includes a record £162 million for launch programmes — aiming to boost commercial access to orbit and enhance launch resilience. It will be good news for many, to see this continued investment into launch capabilities, with the first launch from a UK spaceport anticipated for 2026.
Meanwhile, a £131 million pledge underwrites the UK-led Vigil mission, a space-weather monitoring initiative designed to safeguard vital infrastructure from solar storms and protect satellite services.
Other key highlights include further funding for Europe’s first Mars rover, built in the UK by Airbus and named after British scientist Rosalind Franklin. The mission will drill into the red planet to answer long-standing scientific questions about the potential for life on other planets. The UK also continues its support for the Argonaut lunar lander, following the award of major UK industrial contracts last week to supply the engine and propulsion sub-systems for the mission.
With the UK space sector already supporting over 55,000 jobs directly, and an additional 81,000 across the supply chain, the government hopes this investment will stimulate further economic growth. Space innovation continues to drive new opportunities for British scientists, engineers, and businesses.
As one of the world’s leading space-faring nations, the UK is now doubling down: not only investing in science and exploration, but also strengthening the country’s resilience and digital sovereignty in an uncertain global environment.
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I’d like to put on record my thanks to everyone in the UK space sector for all the work they do, day-in day-out, and to all those who supported these important negotiations. Now the real work begins to translate these commitments into valuable contract wins for the sector. Dr Paul Bate, CEO of the UK Space Agency
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